Welcome to my review of Just Another Liar by Mandy Byatt. A strong three-stars for me this is a great debut novel and the start of a promising new career.
He says he loves you. He says you’re the only one. He’s just another liar…
Denise, Petra, and Anna all have their reasons for being alone.
But they’re not ready to share them.
David is the answer to all their problems.
But they’ve only met him online.
Each woman wants her happy ending.
But only one of them can get it.
One of these women will end up dead.
But which one? And will you ever work out who killed them?
Mandy Byatt lives in Cheshire and is currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, whilst working in marketing communications. She has been shortlisted in the Gransnet/HQ novel competition and Woman & Home short story competition as well as longlisted in the HWA/Sharpe Books Unpublished Novel Award and Orange Pathé screenwriting competition. She was also a winner of a Radio 5 Live monologue competition.
Just Another Liar is her debut novel.
I saw this book recommended on a Facebook group I’m in and loved the cover; it’s an eye-catching design. As a fan of mysteries, thrillers, and psychological fiction, this seemed right up my street, and I couldn’t wait to read it.
The plot is a great idea. It is an accurate portrayal of the perils of online dating, which is so popular nowadays and a great example of what happens when things go wrong and how things and people aren’t always as they appear. The three main female characters discover all is not sunshine and roses and become amateur detectives to try and find the identity of the ‘One’ that they have all fallen in love with, David Kingfisher.
It’s evident to the reader that Dr David Kingfisher isn’t whom he says, but it’s not clear at all to Denise, Anna and Petra. After one of their posts on Facebook, they find each other, trying to find out if anyone has seen him after he stops contact, following her ‘lending’ him some money. It turns out Petra is in the same situation, though Anna, who is not, is convinced it’s just that he is fed up with those girls and is in love with her. The story is told from numerous perspectives of each female and the liar himself.
Each of the three main characters come from a different but equally sad backgrounds. Denise is the most likeable, and I sympathised with her. She cares for her mother, who isn’t very nice; she’s overweight and lives a miserable and solitary life. Anna desperately seeks love to forget about her past heartbreak, and Petra is married to Sam in a marriage that isn’t going so well. Both Anna and Petra are more complex characters, but neither felt likeable and were quite competitive for no apparent reason aside from looks. All three are gullible and the perfect target for such a crime. In addition, I also felt that there could have been some more character development to make them more likeable and make the reader feel more compassionate for them.
While I enjoyed this debut novel, I struggled a little with the slower pace than I am used to. In addition, while the writing shows promise, it’s not yet up to standard with other authors who can build incredible suspense, such as Adele Parks.
I didn’t see the big twist coming at all, which made for a good ending but unfortunately, I just found that after that twist, I got a little confused, and it didn’t flow so well for me, though it was a faster pace which was nice.
This is a substantial three-star read from me and a great start to a promising career.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
| Title | Just Another Liar |
| Author | Mandy Byatt |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | eARC |
| Page Count | 380 Pages |
| Genre | Contemporary Romance |
| Publisher | Psychological Fiction |
| Release Date | 20th January 2022 |
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